Congressional Testimony and Letters

The Member Scholars of the Center for Progressive Reform frequently testify before congressional committees on a range of topics related to the organization’s core issues. In addition, Member Scholars often communicate with federal agencies, testifying, filing comments on proposed regulations, or bringing important matters to their attention by way of letters or other means of communication.

Robert Verchick and James Goodwin letter to House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law re the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, July 15, 2015

Robert Verchick and James Goodwin letter to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Managementre the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, July 15, 2015.

Rena Steinzor's July 16, 2014 testimony before Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittees on Oversight and Environment on the Status of Reforms to EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System

Rena Steinzor's July 11, 2014 testimony before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Economics on Constitutional Considerations: States vs. Federal Environmental Policy Implementation.

William Buzbee's May 29, 2014 testimony before the House Committee on Small Business on proposed Army Corps of Engineers waters of the United States regulations in response to the Supreme Court's SWANCC and other decisions.

Michael Patoka’s February 7, 2014 testimony before the Maryland Senate Finance Committee in support of SB 774, which would require construction companies contracting with the state to be prequalified based on their worker health and safety performance measures.

2013

Wendy Wagner’s November 13, 2013 testimony before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment discussing various “good science” provisions in the Chemical Safety Improvement Act and how they will impact EPA’s use of science.

Letter to Senators on Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act. On November 1, 2012, CPR Member Scholars Thomas McGarity, Sidney Shapiro, and Rena Steinzor sent a letter to members of the U.S. Senate urging them to oppose S. 3468, which would inhibit independent federal regulatory agencies by allowing the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to exert influence over their rulemakings.

Catherine O'Neill's May 12, 2009 Testimony on the need to act on the remaining mercury-emitting chlor-alkili plants in the United States, before the U.S. House House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Read the news release.

Rena Steinzor's April 30, 2009 testimony before the House Science and Technology Committee’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight on clean science and regulatory issues. Read the news release.

2008

Bill Buzbee's April 16, 2008testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on the Rapanos and SWANCC decisions and the Clean Water Restoration Act. And the news release.

Sidney Shapiro's April 2, 2008 testimony before the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Archives of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, on the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 2008.

2007

Rena Steinzor’s October 17, 2007 testimony before the Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, on the Bush Administration’s failure to pursue Superfund cleanups.

David Vladeck’s September 12, 2007 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Bush Administration’s push for agency preemption of state tort laws.

David Vladeck’s February 13, 2007 testimony on EO 13422 before the Committee on Science and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, U.S. House of Representatives.

2006

William Buzbee’s August 1, 2006testimony before the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, on the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Rapanos case for efforts to protect America’s waterways from polluters.

2005

Robert R.M. Verchick’s November 17, 2005 testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works on how preliminary findings on the failure of New Orleans’ levees should be incorporated into future plans for hurricane protection.

Tom McGarity’s November 10, 2005 testimony to Congress on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Robert R.M. Verchick’s September 29, 2005 testimony before the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce on what went wrong before, during and immediately after Hurricane Katrina.

Sidney Shapiro’s July 20, 2005testimony before the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs of the House Government Reform Committee on the Information Quality Act.

Sidney Shapiro’s April 12, 2005 congressional testimony on OMB’s regulatory “hit list” before the House Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs of the Committee on Government Reform.

2004

Catherine O’Neill’s November 17, 2004 testimony to the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs of the House Government Reform Committee on mercury pollution credit-trading proposals.

Robert R.M. Verchick’s February 25, 2004 testimony before the Subcomittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources and Regulatory Affairs of the House Committee on Government Reform, on the Office of Management and Budget’s Draft 2004 Report to Congress on the Costs and Benefits of Federal Regulation.

Rena Steinzor’s June 6, 2003 testimony before the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs of the Committee on Government Reform on proposals to elevate EPA to Cabinet status.

Lisa Heinzerling’s (then a Member Scholar) March 11, 2003 testimony on OMB’s Draft 2003 Report to Congress on the Costs and Benefits of Federal Regulation.

2002

Rena Steinzor’s June 13, 2002 testimony to the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment on Water Quality Trading Policy.